Category / Great Read

Rating of 4 Stars

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Guilty as Sin by Jami Alden

Format: E-bookguiltyassin
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Forever
Hero: Tommy Ibarra
Heroine: Kate Beckett
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: July 30, 2013
Started On: August 1, 2013
Finished On: August 3, 2013

Jami Alden is one of my go-to authors for novels of the romantic suspense variety. She has a style of writing similar to that of authors like Cynthia Eden that makes a book hard to put down. Thus when I came across the publication date of Guilty as Sin which happened to be the 30th of last month, I didn’t hesitate to mark my calender and purchase myself a copy the very day it was released.

33 year old Tommy Ibarra is ex-military, specialized in the weapon of information retrieval amongst other things. 30 year old Kate Beckett is the daughter of a US Senator, working with families of child kidnappings, a calling she had paid heed to after the fateful night 14 years back when her younger brother Michael had been kidnapped and brutally killed. The guilt that Kate has harbored since then proves to be one of the reasons that the budding romance between Tommy, the son of a rancher and Kate had not accounted to much.

When a fresh kidnapping brings an altogether more poised, collected and a professional Kate to Tommy’s hometown once again, the feelings that he had pushed aside into a deep and dark corner of his heart clamors to be let out from its prison and embrace the only woman that Tommy had ever truly loved. However, with the dark shadows that linger between them, reconciliation of the feelings that are very much alive between them is easier said than done, especially when things aren’t what they seem to be and the case puts Kate’s life in danger in more ways than one.

Guilty as Sin is sort of a spin off from the trilogy that featured the books, Beg for Mercy, Hide from Evil and Run from Fear. I remember Tommy making an appearance in one of the books, don’t know which for certain. Tommy is a brooding hunk of a hero with an army tattoo to complete the package. His past run-in with Kate, an altogether younger, softer and a much less cynical version of him had been burnt badly and Tommy is of the mind that nothing would make him take that step towards Kate and claim her as his, no matter how much his body might want him to.

Kate knows she has a lot to apologize for where Tommy is concerned. And though being in close quarters with Tommy is the last thing she wants, Kate finds she has little choice where the matter is concerned, and if truth be told, Kate is as much enamored by the brooding and a much cynical version of the boy she had fallen head over heels in lust and love with all those years ago. But the ugly sword of guilt that she harbors inside of her heart rears its ugly head, especially when the new case brings too close to comfort the memories of a night that has tainted her life so much.

The villain though is twisted as they come is easy to figure out even from the very beginning of the story. Even though that’s the case, the outcome of the story is not affected because Jami certainly knows how to keep the pages turning and the momentum going. I loved Tommy and Kate and felt for both of them, especially Kate who struggles with a lot of dark memories. It is a wonder that she can stand as she does and work so closely with families who are going through something that she herself had gone through with much more terrible an outcome.

The heat between Tommy and Kate is classic Jami Alden, and I say classic because Jami is an author who definitely knows how to turn the heat up.

Recommended for fans of Jami Alden and fans of romantic suspense with heat and twisted villains.

Final Verdict: A villain who’s beyond twisted, a love that defies the most terrible a tragedy & heat of the scorching variety. Jami Alden’s signature shines through & through!

Favorite Quotes

Her memories of Tommy’s kiss, his touch, didn’t come close to what she was feeling now. It was like being thrust into a vortex full of heat and light, where nothing mattered but the taste of him, the soft rasp of his tongue against hers as he tasted every corner of her mouth. She opened her mouth wider, pressed her lips harder, sucked his tongue into her mouth like she was starving for the taste of him.

Then he was there, as deep as he could go, deeper than any other man had ever been.
Tommy Ibarra is inside of me.
That was all it took to send her careening over the edge. Her orgasm hit her with sudden, stunning force. He didn’t even have to move—just the feel of him, buried deep, so big and hard her body could barely contain him, was enough to make her shudder and clench around him as waves of pleasure like nothing she’d ever known poured through her.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: In from the Cold by Mary Sullivan

Format: E-bookinfromthecold
Read with: Kindle for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Untitled Series, #1
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Gabe Jordan
Heroine: Callie MacKintosh
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: February 5, 2013
Started On: July 27, 2013
Finished On: July 27, 2013

37 year old Gabe Jordan is the ultimate recluse, or so it seems to people who barely know him. The owner of a dogsledding business on family owned property in the town of Accord, Colorado, Gabe is a man who harbours a deep sense of guilt and an ultimate sense of responsibility for those under his care. The nightmares that won’t leave him be makes him retreat into a shell of his own where his world has no colour, joy or the hope of a better future in it until one feisty little redhead comes bulldozing her way into his life.

33 year old Callie MacKintosh is a city girl to the very core, with determination pretty much marking every single line of her small body. She might look small but what she doesn’t make up for in size is more than made up for by the vital energy that surrounds her and the beauty which sees in life no matter how tough things get for her.

Told from the viewpoints of both Callie and Gabe in the third person, Callie and Gabe’s worlds collide when Callie is tasked with swaying Gabe’s mind on selling his share of the family property to his brother Nick who happens to be Callie’s overdriven and overly ambitious boss. Callie has no choice but to go against the very principles she has lived by all her life to do Nick’s bidding, even when she starts to feel more than she should for the man on whom she is supposed to be working her powers of persuasion on.

The reason I love Harlequin Superromances is the fact that yes, they are so much more than a hero and heroine falling in love with each other and finding their happily ever after. Though that forms the basis of the storyline, what is surprising is the depth of characterisation brought into each of these stories that makes these books worth delving into.

In from the Cold served to be a great read, a story that compelled me to keep turning the pages until the very end, not only just because Callie and Gabe enticed me to do so, but because the secondary characters and romance in the book urged me to keep going.

Gabe is a sweetheart of a hero, there is no way on Earth you can read his story and not fall in love with this gentle giant of a man who harbours such a wealth of pain in his heart. And Callie served to be just the right sort of woman who could get him to open up and dare to hope for a future that is not the bleakness that has been his life for far too long. Callie has her own share of worries and demons to deal with and Gabe serves to be the one person who sees through all the protective layers that surround her and see right through to the heart of the woman.

Nick serves to be the villain that is shrouded in shades of grey. His story is up next and I cannot wait to find out what has got to be coming his way. He deserves to be smacked on his forehead a couple of times for being such a selfish person whose drive and ambition to succeed in life is the root of all the problems in the story. But then, I loved the emotional upheaval his character brought to the story and wouldn’t have had it any other way.

The best bit about this read? These are characters that have made mistakes and make mistakes along the way to their happily ever after. These are characters are what you would call real in every sense. And that’s what makes this book a winner for me.

A great read, recommended for fans of Harlequin romances with substance.

Final Verdict: A story that grows on you & makes you burn for the happily ever after.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Harlequin

greatread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: All on the Line by Emma Jay

Format: E-bookallontheline
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novella
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Series: Blackwolf Hot Shots, #1
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Callaghan Sinclair
Heroine: Jaci Nichols
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: May 15, 2013
Started On: July 26, 2013
Finished On: July 26, 2013

He did something he never thought he’d do.
He kissed one of his crew.

28 year old Callaghan Sinclair (Cal) is the new crew chief of Blackwolf Hot Shots, one of the youngest to be handed over the responsibility of leading a team as such. Cal doesn’t want to screw anything up that might jeopardize his career as a firefighter and thus keeps his distance from the members of his group until the delectable Jaci Nichols walks into his life and changes the rules by which he lives.

All On The Line is a pretty short novella of just about 50+ pages on iBooks. However that doesn’t diminish the heat and at times emotion packed story that Emma Jay delivered. Jaci is a heroine who really surprised me. For one thing, there is no shyness about her when it comes to the carnal pleasures; rather she is not afraid to admit that she is good at certain things that tends to blow Cal’s mind and concentration to pieces.

Jaci has the ability to bring the big and brawny alpha to his very knees and though Cal might try to resist the lure that Jaci presents, it is a game that he has already lost when Jaci proves to be as enticing to him out of bed as she is in it.

Recommended for fans of firefighter heroes, fans of delicious erotica and fans of Emma Jay.

Final Verdict: Hot little number that singes! Emma Jay is an author erotic romance lovers must read!

Favorite Quotes

His cock throbbed, what little blood remained in his head roared past his ears, drowning out all good sense. Looping his arm around her waist, he lifted her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He pushed against her, against her heat. She curved her hands against his face, her mouth hot and eager, her tongue sliding along his, her teeth nipping his lip.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Smashwords

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by mvbookreviewer

Requested ARC Review: Trust In Me by Dee Tenorio

Format: E-booktrustinme
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Rancho Del Cielo, #5
Publisher: Samhain Publishing Ltd
Hero: Havelocke Jackman
Heroine: Susie Packard
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: July 23, 2013
Started On: July 13, 2013
Finished On: July 14, 2013

Havelocke Jackman (Locke) is the man who gave up most of his youth and raised six siblings on his own. A man of few words, Locke is someone who is tied down to his hometown of Rancho Diel Cielo.

Lingerie designer and owner of Susie’s Suite Shoppe moves into Rancho Diel Cielo to finally stop running from the demons that haunt her. Putting down roots is something Susie doesn’t believe to be an option available to her. Neither is giving into the answering heat that flares to life in the depths of her soul whenever Locke is around.

From the moment Susie had breezed into town and opened shop right in front of his own, something inside Locke had clicked into place and there had been no going back for him. Now, to convince the stubborn & infuriating woman he had fallen in love with to give them a chance? Well, thats a totally different matter altogether.

With a contemporary setting and told in third person from both Locke and Susie’s points of view, Trust In Me is the 5th book in the Rancho Del Cielo series. It can be read as a standalone.

Trust In Me is a novel that lives up to its name. Its about Susie’s inability to trust – with good reason of course, in anyone being there for her without wanting anything in return. The man who takes up the task is someone who is equally stubborn, maybe even more so because Locke certainly has a way of pushing all her buttons, just by being in the same room as her.

Locke is the dreamiest sort of hero, the type of hero that would make any woman go weak at the knees. A bit growly, a lil bit broody and a whole lot of sexy, his bewilderment at certain times given the situation is as endearing as his patience when it comes to Susie. For Locke, its Susie or no woman at all; for him making her feel the same way about him becomes his life mission, even if it means breaking his own heart in the process.

One thing that continually draws me into Dee’s stories is the thread of acerbic humor that is always a part of her storytelling and Trust In Me is no exception. Don’t get me wrong in thinking that Trust In Me is all light and fluff; hardly that. There are dark bits in the story that stirred something deep inside of me. I flinched while reading some parts, the horrors of what Susie had gone through something no one should be subjected to but is far too common in society for one’s peace of mind.

I’d say Locke’s patience makes the story. If it hadn’t been for his unwavering love for Susie that is tried & tested too many times to count, well lets just say this happily ever after would have gone in a whole different direction then. Sometimes Susie had me wondering whether she would be worth all the hassle of going back and forth and treading lightly where she’s concerned. Well, you gotta read and find out for yourself. If you love intense, broody and over the top protective sort of heroes, Trust In Me is definitely recommended.

Final Verdict: Sass, toe-curling sex and love with a dash of big, broody & hot.

Favorite Quotes

“I love you so much, Locke.” Her eyes, where so many secrets hid, were clear and true, shining with proud tears that wrenched at the scars connecting his heart to his soul. “Only you. Only ever you.”
His mouth crashed down, finding hers through the blinding sensation of his body taking over. He pulled back, thrusting into her to the hilt. No finesse, no thought, just raw, driving instinct. She clung, crying out as her channel spasmed around his cock. He had no idea what he was doing now, lost in the feel of her, the hot, wet clench of their bodies continuing to strain… Whimpers turned to hoarse screams, her arms clamped around his head, her hold as unrelenting as his force.

She jerked in his hold, curving back so far her hair splashed into the water, his name echoing off the walls as she cried for him. Her sheath gripped him, shuddering strokes stealing the last of his restraint, throwing him over the edge with her. He pulsed with her, aware of nothing but the feel of her coming back down into his arms. Her breath, hot and panting against his neck. Soft kisses, soothing kisses. Her hands smoothed into his hair, cradling him as he finally laid his head on her shoulder. He held her too tightly, he knew, but he couldn’t let go.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Samhain | Kobo

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: The Scorsolini Marriage Bargain by Lucy Monroe

Format: E-bookthescorsolinimarriage
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Royal Brides, #5
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Principe Claudio Scorsolini
Heroine: Therese Scorsolini
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: May 1, 2006
Started On: July 9, 2013
Finished On: July 10, 2013

Principe Claudio Scorsolini is the crown prince of Isole dei Re and for him his duty to the country and its people comes first. Therese Scorsolini is the wife of Claudio who marries him under the terms of a marriage of convenience.

Though Therese gets married to Claudio out of love, for Claudio it is an arrangement that guarantees that he can focus on the more important issues of his country rather than undergo the emotional upheavals that are bound to follow once love enters the equation. However, Claudio is not as aloof as he would like to think he is and not at all ready to let Therese walk away from him when it becomes evident that that is exactly what she wants after three years of being together.

The Scorsolini Marriage Bargain is the 5th book in the Royal Brides series and has a contemporary setting which is told from both Claudio and Therese’s points of view in third person.

The Scorsolini Marriage Bargain deals with a very real issue that is faced by a lot of women of today. Therese is faced with the hardest decision of her life when she finds out that she might never be able to provide Claudio with a heir to the throne and for that reason alone, Therese is willing to be the better person and walk away. I could feel Therese’s conflicted emotions as though they were mine and understood her reasons for being unable to come outright and tell Claudio the reason behind her need to walk away.

I loved Claudio, one reason being, he stays true to his character throughout the story. He is committed, loyal and actually enthralled by the woman Therese is. Just how enamored he is by her is revealed slowly as the story progresses. But the angst that was a palpable part of the story was mainly due to Claudio being unaware of the shift in his emotional response to his wife and also due to the lack of proper communication between Therese and himself. Claudio remains clueless about a lot of aspects of their relationship and it was endearing to learn of all his efforts to actually show Therese how much he cares about her. Loved the way he stepped up and took care of Therese when the time called for it. If there is a reason to love Claudio, for me, that alone suffices.

I loved the fact that what Lucy actually portrays in the story, i.e. the issues that Therese and Claudio face in their marriage are the same as any other couple who might undergo such a difficult phase in their marriage; and especially if the communication barriers get broken down. There are underlying messages that Lucy conveys through the story that I received loud and clear.

For one thing assumptions is the mother of all evil where relationships are concerned. Its always healthier to ask and be certain rather than assume the best or the worst about your partner. But then again, relationships are never that simple are they.

Secondly, communication is an integral part of any relationship. If the proper channels of communication does not exist or get broken down along the way, even the smallest of things can get blown out of proportion and in the end might even be the leading cause of a breakup of a relationship. If Claudio and Therese had talked to each other and I mean really talked to each other more often, half of all the agony that both of them went through would have been avoided. But then, it wouldn’t have given me, the reader, all that angst that I absolutely reveled in throughout the story!

Thirdly, yes, there is such a thing as being far too independent. Being independent and getting things done on your own is all well and good, but then there are times that you have to lean on your partner and let him or her take care of you. If Therese had in fact let Claudio know what she was going through and let him help her along the way, they both could have discovered that there is much much more to their relationship than just a convenient arrangement on Claudio’s end.

The one thing that irked me a bit was the fact that Therese went so long without telling Claudio the actual reason behind her wanting to leave. I felt that she dragged it on for a bit too longer than necessary which actually made Claudio draw his own conclusions which certainly didn’t help matters along. And then there were areas in the story that just seemed to rehash the same stuff over and over again which became a bit tiresome to read, but overall, the story managed to captivate me enough to lose a bit of my sleep over it in order to see how Claudio and Therese would fare in the end.

Recommended for fans of Lucy Monroe and fans of angst-ridden romances. This one’s filled with just that!

Final Verdict: The Scorsolini Marriage Bargain should come with the warning; “Emotional roller-coaster ride guaranteed!”.

Favorite Quotes

She opened her eyes to look at him and saw that his head was thrown back in abandon like hers had been, his face etched with sexual pleasure. She leaned forward and bit his chest in an act so primitive, even in her advanced state of passion…it shocked her.
He was not shocked, though, but merely growled and increased the rhythm, slamming into her with pounding force with every thrust. It was so intense, she felt like she was on the verge of shattering into a million over-pleasured bits.

He gripped her tighter and she wrapped her arms around him, pressing to his body, the only sense of reality in a universe exploding from pleasure. He was silent when he climaxed, his teeth bared in a feral grimace that said more eloquently than any words could have how intensely he was feeling.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Harlequin | Kobo

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Escape from Desire by Penny Jordan

Format: E-bookescapefromdesire
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Zachary Fletcher
Heroine: Tamara Forbes
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: January 1, 1983
Started On: July 8, 2013
Finished On: July 8, 2013

Zachary Fletcher is a man of privileged upbringing who had found his calling in serving the army. Aloof, ruthless and cynical, Zach is a man not to be crossed.

Tamara Forbes is 26 years old and engaged to marry the man who she thinks would serve her interests the best, though misgivings and doubts continue to plague her about their suitability as the date draws nearer.

Tamara and Zach’s paths cross when both end up taking a vacation in the Caribbean at the same time. Zach is recuperating while for Tamara its a vacation long overdue. When both of them are held hostage by a terrorist organisation after a hiking trip that goes awry, Tamara must put her trust in a man who is far too masculine, appealing and ruthless on her senses and for her peace of mind. By the time they make it back to civilisation, nothing remains the same.

Escape from Desire has a contemporary setting and takes place in both the Caribbean and London. Story is narrated from only Tamara’s perspective in third person.

I admit I’m someone who likes a whole lot of conflict and angst in my romances, not the type that makes me want to pull my hair out mind you, but the kind that makes you want to swoon into a puddle of dreaminess when all’s said and done.

I like revisiting the Harlequin romances for a reason. They were practically my first  source of adult romances and some of the authors such as Penny Jordan shaped my love for ruthless heroes and the women who fall for them with no way of turning back. And thats exactly what I was looking for when I picked this up to read and exactly what it delivered as well.

Tamara is naive, inexperienced and a bit of a reserved character; not surprising given the way she was brought up. Tamara appears standoffish to a lot of people and that starts chipping away the minute she encounters the enigmatic Zach who makes her instinctively take a step back because even with all her inexperience, she knows that Zach would be dangerous a man to play with.

I sometimes think that perhaps the reason why I am drawn towards heroes who can practically be called assholes is because real life tends to deliver alpha heroes of that variety. But once they fall, and boy do they fall; they are smitten to the point of obsession and displays of possessiveness & jealousy that I absolutely love. And Zach certainly was no exception to the rule. There were moments I wanted to slap him, and then there were moments I wanted to say ‘A-ha’ and sit back and watch with glee as he tried to wrestle with his feelings for Tamara. Though I’d have loved a bit more of the story to have been set in the Caribbean, this still turned out to be a captivating read that I finished in one sitting!

Recommended for fans of older Harlequin romances, fans of ruthless, mean, jealous and possessive heroes and fans of Penny Jordan. Its a testament to her impressive talent that even her earliest novels still holds appeal today.

Final Verdict: Angst-ridden goodness!

Purchase Links: Amazon | AbeBooks

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by mvbookreviewer

Requested Review: Blood Avenged by Gabrielle Bisset

Format: E-bookbloodavenged.jpg
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Sons of Navarus, #1
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Vasilije
Heroine: Sasa Lambert
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: December 11, 2011
Started On: July 2, 2013
Finished On: July 3, 2013

Hero: Vasilije is a 400 year old vampire; powerful and ruthless with a hidden streak of kindness for those whom he chooses. Vasilije is lonely and restless though it would take a wooden stake through his heart for him to admit the fact – if ever.

Heroine: 27 year old Sasa Lambert has been taking care of her ailing mother so much so that she hasn’t had any time to worry about anything beyond that. Sasa is willing to do pretty much anything if it means helping alleviate the pain her mother is going through.

Storyline: Blood Avenged is the 1st book in the Sons of Navarus series. A run in an old nemesis of Vasilije stirs up trouble which has him turning up in New Orleans to hunt down the killer of one of his vampires. And thats where he runs into Sasa, the human who tempts, infuriates & comforts him on a level no one has in a long, long while.

Setting: Blood Avenged takes place for the most part in New Orleans and is told from the viewpoints of both Vasilije and Sasa.

Likes: Vasilije makes for an intriguing vampire hero. He is this intricate mix of ruthlessness with an inherent kindness that shines through him at the oddest moments. Hell hath no fury like a sire whose vampire has been killed and that’s exactly what Vasilije is and of course the reaction his nemesis expects from him. Vasilije is someone who keeps his emotions close to his chest, something a little bit more difficult to do around a woman like Sasa. I truly loved the fact that Vasilije stayed true to his character even till the end of the book.

Sasa might have started out on the wrong footing but she does try her darnedest to  make things right. Her vulnerability when it comes to Vasilije is one that she continually questions and the only saving grace for her is the fact that even Vasilije doesn’t seem to fare off any better.

Overall, I liked the easy style of writing that drew me in and I am definitely going to delve into the next set of books in the series.

Dislikes: None.

Recommended for: Fans of vampire romances and heroes with a bit of a ruthless streak in them.

Final Verdict: An exciting debut that definitely has whetted my appetite for more!

Favorite Quotes

Desperate to have him inside her, she pulled his mouth to hers and flicked her tongue again over the tip of one fang. In the dark, she was blind to his reaction but every other sense screamed to her that she wouldn’t have to wait a second longer for him to give her what she craved.
With no warning, he thrust into her, filling the empty space completely and taking her breath away.

Sasa stared up at him with wide eyes. “Please tell me you put some kind of spell or something on me. Tell me there’s a reason why every time you’re this close to me I want you more than I’ve ever wanted any other man.”
Her words hit him deep inside and made his cock stiffen hard as a rock. The thought of being inside her right then made his mind race with possibilities. Unable to stop himself, he dipped his head down to let his mouth softly touch hers and slid his tongue between her lips.

In a blur, Vasilije had her hands pinned above her head and was tearing her skirt and panties from her body. Before she knew it, his clothes had vanished and his cock was pressed against her entrance. Seconds later, he thrust his body into hers.
God, she didn’t want to want him like this. She didn’t want to enjoy the sound of his groans so full of desire each time he rammed his cock into her. She didn’t want to love the feel of his mouth, devouring her passion with a need that matched her own.
But she did. She wanted every inch of him, every moment of him, every touch of him.
Her body burned for everything he was.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Smashwords

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by mvbookreviewer

Requested ARC Review: Rancher to the Rescue by Jennifer Faye

Format: E-bookranchertotherescue
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Cash Sullivan
Heroine: Meghan Finnegan
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: July 1, 2013
Started On: June 27, 2013
Finished On: June 29, 2013

Hero: Cash Sullivan; retired from the rodeo circuit and successful owner of Tumbling Weed his very own ranch. Cash prefers things be simple and has little trust for love or women and likes his solitary lifestyle just the way it is.

Heroine: 28 year old Meghan Finnegan, a smalltime celebrity with her own cooking show whose going to get married to the man that she loves; or so she thinks until everything goes horribly wrong at the last minute.

Storyline: Meghan flees the scene of her wedding and stumbles into Cash who becomes her reluctant saviour despite all his misgivings. With no one she can turn to for help and wanting the much needed timeout from everything her life had become, Meghan relies on Cash and his hospitality to lick her wounds in private and come to terms with how much her life has changed since that fateful day. As Meghan goes through these changes, so does the relationship between Cash and Meghan grow to slowly become something much much more than anything they both bargained for.

Time period: Rancher to the Rescue has a contemporary setting and is told from both Meghan & Cash’s perspective in third person.

Likes: I liked lots of things about Rancher to the Rescue. For one thing I find that Jennifer has a compelling style of writing that begs the reader to thoroughly explore what she has to offer. And this being just her debut novel I’d say that Jennifer is an author who has a promising future in the romance arena.

I liked both Cash and Meghan. Cash is the reserved type of hero, all gruff on the outside but a major softie on the inside. He is helplessly ensnared in the web of tangible attraction that sizzles to life between himself and Meghan right from the start. His connection to Meghan surprises, infuriates and arouses him in equal turns making him a mess which in turn makes him reinforce those walls that he had built around his heart and emotions throughout his life. And the one thing that is almost palatable is Cash’s sense of honour that drives him to protect Meghan from himself, even at the cost of losing the one woman he has come to care about above everything else.

Meghan is a sweetheart too. No reason to not like a woman who is independent, a goddess in the kitchen and has the ability to empathise and see beyond the image that Cash tries so hard to project. Neither Meghan nor Cash are perfect as characters but I think thats what makes them both so special.

On a side note, the story piqued my interest on Meghan’s two sisters & being the greedy reader that I am, cannot help but wonder whether they will both get their own stories too.

Dislikes: I’d have liked to see a little bit more development for Meghan and Cash on the physical intimacy side. After all that sexual tension that sizzled, it would have been wonderful to see the story veer towards that direction just a little more. And I think an epilogue would have worked wonders too!

Recommended for: Those who love romances featuring jilted brides and the reluctant heroes that come to their rescue.

Final Verdict: Wonderful & heartwarming; Cash Sullivan should be every woman’s reluctant hero.

Favorite Quotes

The breath caught in her throat and the blood pounded in her veins. She was totally caught up in an overwhelming need to have him kiss her—here—now. For just this moment she wanted to forget their circumstances and lose herself in his arms.
His hungry gaze met and held hers. He wanted her too. She’d never experienced such desire. Her stomach quivered with excitement. But she held herself back. She’d prom- ised herself the next time he’d be the one to make the first move. She couldn’t risk being shunned again—no matter how much she wanted him.

He sought out her tongue with his. He tasted fresh and minty. Her arms trailed around his neck and she sidled up against him. She wanted more of him—so much more.
In the background, she heard a bowl hit the countertop with a thud before his hands slid around her waist. His fingertips slipped beneath the hem of her top to stroke her tender flesh. She lifted her legs and wrapped them about his waist, never moving her mouth from his. His kisses were sweeter than honey and she was on a sugar high. She’d never get enough of him. Ever.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Harlequin

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Avenger by Julia Sykes

Format: E-bookavenger
Read with: Kindle for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Series: Impossible, #3
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Sean Reynolds
Heroine: Claudia Ellers
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: May 3, 2013
Started On: May 9, 2013
Finished On: May 9, 2013

Hero: Sean Reynolds, a dominant alpha, whose character is shrouded in shades of grey that makes it difficult to sum him up without giving away the story.

Heroine: Dr. Claudia Ellers, the submissive to Sean; who is unwittingly drawn into the sheer drama and nightmare that her life explodes into when her life crosses paths with that of Sean.

Storyline: Avenger is the 3rd and final book in the Impossible trilogy. Avenger is a culmination of the events that pushes Claudia out of her comfort zone and gives Sean a chance to live a life of his own choosing. Its the story of two people who eventually make it even with insurmountable odds stacked against them.

Time period: Avenger has a contemporary setting and is told in first person in Claudia’s point of view.

Likes: Julia Sykes definitely knows what she’s doing by writing BDSM themed erotic stories with a dangerous edge to them. I loved all three books in this trilogy as they offered a way to slake my hunger for a hero who is not your usual run of the mill variety.

Julia is an author who can make your heart wrench with grief and sorrow one minute and take you on a wild ride of passion and incessant longing the next that its always one hell of a ride to get on. And I definitely wanted more!

Dislikes: Though some of the events that took place in the final story seemed a trifle bit rushed to me, I still enjoyed the story that unfolded and the happily ever after it sent my way.

Recommended for: Fans of Julia Sykes, fans of BDSM themed erotica and fans of rougher around the edges heroes who makes makes you swoon; this one’s for you!

Final Verdict: Sean Reynolds is a guilty pleasure not to be missed out on!

Favorite Quotes

My nipples hardened and I moaned into his mouth, arching up into him as I silently begged him to take me.  His tongue swept into my mouth, and I welcomed it.  His fist tangled in my hair, angling my head back so that he could take me more deeply.  Calloused fingertips lightly traced the curve of my neck, the roughness of his skin contrasting deliciously with his feather-light strokes.  Hot lines of pleasure shot to my breasts and then lower, hitting my core.  My inner walls contracted as I craved for him to fill me, to slake the growing need that was sweetly tormenting me.

He shoved me hard, and the wind was momentarily knocked from my lungs at the impact with the mattress.  Now he was the one straddling my hips, his weight pinning me down where he wanted me.  That cocky, lopsided grin that I loved so much was back in place, his turmoil and grief absent from his eyes, overcome by that dark flame that flickered in their green depths.  The sight of it made me shudder in delight as I realized that he accepted my words; he had let go of his feelings of uncertainty, of self-loathing.  He was embracing the sexual dynamic that gave both of us such unsurpassed pleasure.  He was accepting himself.

Then his teeth bit sharply into my earlobe, tugging at it.  I gasped as the slight, unexpected pain further stoked my need.  His lips were sucking away the pain, this hot tongue soothing the place where he had bitten me.  I writhed beneath him as he awoke yet another erogenous zone that I had never known existed.  His low, satisfied chuckle rumbled through me as he skillfully manipulated my body, drawing forth my submission with every touch.

His harsh expression told me that he could no longer hold himself back.  I watched as the overwhelming possessive need that he had described took over.  All vestiges of his careful self-control vanished as he drove into me to the hilt in one thrust.  My sex was still hyper-sensitive from my orgasm, and I let out a strangled cry as pleasure washed over me again.  I came immediately, my muscles fluttering around him and heightening his own pleasure.  He let out a low growl as he took me roughly, a primal, animalistic urge driving him as he pounded into me.

I could feel him beginning to jerk within me, heralding his own completion.  He leaned into me and bit down on my hardened nipple.  The pain sent me over the edge a third time, and my entire body began to shake.  The motion caused me to jerk against the cuffs, but the pain of their unyielding bite only heightened my ecstasy.  Sean’s howl mingled with my delighted scream as we found our ultimate pleasure at the same time, our bodies in perfect tandem with one another.

Purchase Links: Amazon

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Desire in the Sun by Karen Robards

Format: Paperbackdesireinthesun
Read with: NA
Length: Novel
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Harper Collins
Hero: Jocelyn San Pietro
Heroine: Delilah Remy
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: December 26, 2006
Started On: April 15, 2012
Finished On: May 5, 2013

Desire in the Sun by Karen Robards is a book that has been sitting in my TBR pile since I bought a paperback copy of it when I was in Malaysia in 2009. I have been putting off reading this for one reason or the other and almost one year after I started reading, I actually managed to finish the story and loved it too!

Delilah Remy (Lilah) is the much pampered and only child of her very rich father who has ensured that she led a very privileged life growing up. Though Lilah dreams of being swept off her feet by some mysterious man who would turn up and make her heart beat faster and make her go all dewy eyed in remembrance, Lilah is of the mind that such things do not happen in real life. That is until Jocelyn San Pietro (Joss) happens into her life who shows her a glimpse of how wonderful it could be and everything goes so horribly awry afterwards.

One minute Joss is his own boss, the commander of his own life who has a feeling that meeting Lilah has changed his life in an inexplicable way and that life would never be the same for him ever again. The next, he faces ultimate betrayal and finds himself taken as a slave, his fierce pride and the anger that flares to life at the injustice nothing short of violent in its desire to be unleashed on those who caused the misfortune to befall on him.

Though it seems unlikely that Lilah and Joss would ever find a way to make things work for them, fate seems to have a different plan in store as they find themselves thrown together time and yet again. When stranded on an island with no one else to act as a buffer to the smouldering passion that is almost always a tangible part of the connection they have with each other, its inevitable that the dam burst open and the passion held on a tight leash find free rein in its abandoned glory.

The trials and tribulations that Joss and Lilah go through in their journey to finally be able to love each other freely and on their own terms was an amazing journey, every minute of which I loved. I loved both Lilah and Joss. I found Joss to be a refreshingly different hero from Jonathan, the hero from Island Flame and Sea Fire who turned out to be the material out of which ass-hole heroes are made of. Joss has this sweetness about him even though he is all alpha when it matters. Lilah seems to be the perfect fit for him and even though there were some gruesome bits to the story, there were those moments of hilarity that occurs between Joss and Lilah that gives the reader no choice but to laugh out loud.

All in all a very enjoyable historical romance by one of my favourite authors in the romance genre, recommended for fans of the genre and fans of Karen Robards.

Favorite Quotes

Lilah gasped as she felt the fiery heat probing against her. Then he was inside the first little bit and his hands on her hips were tugging her down, down until he filled her and she was squirming against the hugeness of him.”Love me,” he muttered again, the words thick. His eyes were glazed, his face flushed with passion.

Lilah cried out as his hands closed over them.
As if that small sound had snapped something inside of him, he groaned and pulled her down to him so that he could take her breasts in his mouth. He suckled with savage hunger, his hands hard and hot on the silken roundness of her bottom as he held her still above him and ground himself upwards into her.

She clasped her arms around his back and lifted her hips to meet him as he thrust wildly inside her.
At last, when he had brought her trembling to the brink and then pushed her over, she got what she wanted. As he convulsed inside her and groaned the words in her ear: “I love you, I love you, I love you.”
Over and over, like a litany.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N

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